FC Arouca vs CD Santa Clara

Arouca host Santa Clara in mid-September with both sides enjoying a rare taste of the top half early on, sitting third and fourth in the Primeira Liga table respectively. Neither club is used to looking upward this early in a campaign, so this fixture is a useful gauge of how far either side's bright start can carry them before the league settles into its usual shape. Arouca have won three of their opening four matches, including a 4-0 thrashing of Moreirense and a battling win at Vitória de Guimarães, before a 2-0 defeat at Porto brought them back down to earth. Santa Clara, under coach Petit, remain unbeaten in four, beating Académico de Viseu and Famalicão and salvaging a late draw against Alverca courtesy of Brenner. Gonçalo Paciência has been in scoring form all season and is the player to watch up front. Historically, Arouca have the better head-to-head record between the two clubs. Our prediction: 2-1